The Dordt Defender women's basketball team secured a spot in the second round of the NAIA National Championship with a 95-80 win over Haskell Indian Nations on Friday evening, March 14 in Sioux Center, Iowa. It's the third straight year the Defenders will play for the right to move on to the final site of the championship and marked the third straight 30 win season for the Defenders.
Box Score (PDF)
Haskell took an early led and built it to 21-15 with just under a minute remaining in the first period after a Tierzah Penn three-point basket. Dordt managed to take some momentum back with a
Desta Hoogendoorn free throws and a
Macy Sievers free throw along with a
Olivia Harazin basket to get the difference down to 23-21. Dordt eventually took the lead and extended it to 33-23 on a 15-0 run capped by a Harazin basket as Haskell went scoreless for well over five minutes. Dordt was able to maintain that lead and settled for a 45-36 halftime advantage.
A 17-3 run over the first five minutes of the second half gave Dordt a 20-plus point lead and went all the way to 81-53 before Dordt settled for the 95-80 victory.
Dordt benefited from 35-48 free throw shooting and had a 48-29 rebounding advantage.
The Defenders are 30-2 and will host St. Francis (Illinois) on Saturday at 5:30 pm with the winner advancing to the Round of 16 at Sioux City, Iowa beginning on Thursday, March 20.
THE NUMBERS
Haskell | 29-70 fg | 11-25 3pt fg | 11-18 ft | 29 rebs | 16 to
Dordt | 27-58 fg | 6-27 3pt fg | 35-48 ft | 48 rebs | 17 to
Dordt Leaders
Macy Sievers | 19 pts | 4 rebs | 6 ast
Olivia Harazin | 17 pts | 3 ast
Janie Van Donge | 17 pts | 12 rebs
Ellie Lems | 10 pts | 4 rebs
Haskell Leaders
Tierzah Penn | 23 pts | 4 rebs
Angela Astorga | 13 pts
Janae Kalama | 11 pts | 5 rebs | 5 ast
